


Costumes, Pumpkins, & Kisses, Oh My!

by RedpathArcade



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Non-Immortal (The Old Guard), Friends to Lovers, Halloween, Hurt Nicky, Injury, M/M, Mutual Pining, Neighbours, Nickys heart is too pure for this world, Single Parent Joe, firefighter Nicky, he’s honestly the kindest person out there, joes job isn’t described in detail, joes son has Cerebral Palsy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26721748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedpathArcade/pseuds/RedpathArcade
Summary: Nicky hadn’t planned on buying Halloween decorations. It's just the thought of buying expensive gimcrack witches and monsters never accord to him. Well, at least it didn't before a young enthusiastic boy made an off-handed comment on how his alab wouldn't be able to decorate their yard this year due to his work schedule.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 32
Kudos: 208





	Costumes, Pumpkins, & Kisses, Oh My!

**Author's Note:**

> Keywords to know before reading.  
> Baba - dad  
> Alab - father  
> Abn- son  
> Habibi - darling   
> Ya amar - moon  
> Madre di dio - mother of God  
> Tesoro mio - my treasure 
> 
> Also joe knows Italian but Nicky doesn’t know Arabic. (He did bribe joes son with cookies to find out what ya amar means, but he doesn’t know the true meaning behind the words)

Nicky hadn’t planned on buying Halloween decorations. He couldn't even tell you if they've always had countless displays of decorations up at the front of the local grocery store every Halloween. He never celebrated the holiday growing up and didn't put much thought into buying tacky expensive decorations as he got older. Sure he's hung them up before. His station downtown always decorated for the holidays, which meant many of the firefighters, himself included, spent hours sticking and stringing up skeletons and ghosts. Bats and spiders.

It wasn't even that he hated doing so. It was rather relaxing compared to most days of his job. The smile's it brought to the local kids faces made it worth all the while.

It's just the thought of buying expensive gimcrack witches and monsters never accord to him. Well, at least it didn't before a young enthusiastic boy made an off-handed comment on how his alab wouldn't be able to decorate their yard this year due to his work schedule.

Nicky smiled at the thought of his neighbours. They moved in almost four years ago, just the two of them. A handsome man a few years old than Nicky himself. Voice warm and sweet like honey, hands strong yet calloused against Nicky's own, as he induced himself. Yusuf Al-Kaysani; prefers to go by Joe, the taller man announced. He bounced a small child on his hip, the boy mumbling his own name through his fist he was chewing, which his father fondly repeated. Daniyal Al-Kaysani.

They were quite, but affectionate - always up early to catch the bus, which picked and dropped Daniyal off at the house.

Daniyal was diagnosed with Cerebral palsy shortly after his first birthday. A complication of newborn jaundice that eventually lead to a condition called Kernicterus. Which Nicky had found out later on.

Despite countless obstacles and surgeries Daniyal faces as he continues to grow up - Nicky has never met a more content, adventurous,lighthearted child. Daniyal could cheer up anyone in a matter of seconds.

Nicky had instantly falling in love with the boy, and Daniyal with him. The two became almost inseparable as Nicky spent his days off with the two of them. It wasn't long before Nicky had earned Joe's trust with the man's son. If Joe couldn't find a babysitter in time, Nicky would watch Daniyal. If Daniyal wanted to show him thenewest movie on demand, Joe would check with Nicky if it was okay for him to go over as Joe cooked dinner. (Joe always invited Nicky over afterwards for the meal).

It was Daniyal that stole Nicky's heart first, but Joe was a very close second. Soon enough Nicky found himself a part of their family (even if him and Joe won't actually say that to each others faces).

Nicky knew his face held a blissful smile, but he couldn't care to stop -No matter how many odd looks he got from other customers- as he set yet another over priced blow up pumpkin into his cart.

The Italian nodded to himself in satisfaction as he scanned the items in his cart. They weren't gruesome or scary looking, more cartoonish if anything. Definitely ideal for an eight year old. Humming to himself he steered over to the checkout. Smiling widely at the cashier who - to Nicky surprise and delight - blushed and gave a small bashful smile back. 

The cashier was cute and if he wasn't head-over-heels in love with Joe, Nicky would've probably start a flirty conversation with the them. 

As he loaded up the belt, Nicky started chewing on his bottom lip. A nervous habit he's never quite kicked. He knew Daniyal would be ecstatic about the decorations, but would Joe think he was over-stepping? The last thing Nicky wants is to upset the man, or somehow imply that he wasn't doing a good job as a parent because he couldn't find the time to do this himself. 

Joe was anything but an awful parent. The man had more love for his child than Nicky's ever seen a parent have. He provided Daniyal with everything the boy could need. Always making sure Daniyal had new clothes when he hit a growth spurt. Always letting Daniyal pick out the newest design for his AFO braces (even if that meant he had to overcome his own fear of ants because Daniyal wanted the print with hundreds of ants spread out across them) Daniyal's crutches always needing new rubber bottom tips because he'd wear them down consistently. Daniyal's favourite thing to do on his downtime was walking, especially around the local Zoo. (Joe and Nicky decided it would be cheaper if they bought year long passes this time around).

Nicky pulled out his wallet and handed over enough cash to the still-blushing cashier, loaded his cart back up and grabbed the receipt. (Which he fondly noticed later in his car, that it had the cashiers number on it).

By the time he pulled into his driveway he'd realized he had just enough time to quickly bring everything into his house before Joe and Daniyal got home. 

Once all the decorations were stored away, Nicky made himself a tea and walked over to Joe's driveway. He didn’t have much time to chat with his two boys before he needed to go back home and get some sleep before his half nightshift he promised Booker he'd take for him. Thankfully Nicky had the next two days off. Which meant tomorrow he could decorate, which was perfect since Joe would be away for the night at some business meeting, and Daniyal was having a Halloween sleep over at a friend's house. They both wouldn't be back until later the next day, which just so happened to be Halloween.

* * *

Cursing to himself, Nicky squirmed as a wad of fake spider webs fell off the top of the ladder and onto his head. The strands of silk now tangled in his hair. Huffing, Nicky admitted defeat a few minutes later, the silk now seemingly glued to his head. 

He was running out of time. It was pushing onto three o'clock and he was already behind schedule by a _day_. The shift he covered for Booker turned out to be more action packed than he originally thought and instead of a small shift he spent almost ten hours, going from call to call. 

From a car accident to an elderly man having a heart attack, to ending the night with a house fire. Which he ended up needing saving from himself. It wasn't exactly like it was his fault that one of the beams knocked him down, his side crashing roughly onto the floor, a few ribs bending and snapping painfully. But it earned him a few extra days off.

Nicky sighed, he dug himself too far in to stop now. Half of the blow up pumpkins still needed another thirty minutes at least. He never got to carving the actual pumpkins on the steps leading to the front door. He had to admit the cloth ghost he hung from the front tree looked amazing. And the damn spider webs are taking the longest because Nicky wasn't able to reach up from the ladder, with his bruised ribs, to hang them from the gutters.

And to make matters worse, Joe mentioned he'd be home by four o'clock to make supper and then take Daniyal out to trick and treat before it got too dark. Which left him with an hour to finish, sighing once again, Nicky got back to work.

The hour past by faster than Nicky realized. The blow ups now completely done and unhooked from any cords that Daniyal could trip on. Half the pumpkins carved open at the top and guts scooped out so he could put fake LEDs candle inside. (there was no fancy faces carved into them, but he figured Joe and Daniyal could do it later on).

He didn't hear Joe's car pull up across the street, but he heard the tell tale clicking of Daniyal crutches followed by an excited voice as the young boy crossed the road with help from his baba.

Nicky turned around in time to catch the boy in his arms. Daniyal wrapped his arms around Nicky waist, crutches discarded on the floor beside them. (Getting hit in the back of the legs with metal isn't exactly pleasant, and Daniyal trusts Nicky enough to know he'll catch him).

Nicky tried his best at not wincing when the Daniyal's boney body pressed into his middle. Thankfully Joe was too busy picking up Daniyal's crutches to notice anything wrong. A bag of takeout held loosely in one hand. Nicky hummed to himself, they must've grabbed an early dinner on their way home.

Eventually Daniyal pulled away, grabbing the crutches back, "Baba! Look at the decorations!"

Joe smiled down at his abn, hands resting on top of Daniyal's shoulder, "Definitely better than anything I could've done."

Daniyal loudly agreed while Nicky blushed.

"Do you want to look around Dani?" Joe asked.

"Can I?" Daniyal asked, his question more directed towards Nicky than his alab.

"Of course you can Daniyal. Just be careful of any sticks or wires on the ground. I did a sweep of the yard not too long ago, but just in case." Nicky informed him, bending down to his height, ribs screaming in protest but he ignored the pain in favours of getting to see the way Daniyal's eyes lite up at the permission.

Daniyal spared a quick glance at Joe, getting a nod in answer, he started bouncing excitedly over to the first big pumpkin as he tried to keep his balance on his crutches. The two men following closely behind him, occasionally joining Daniyal in conversation about the different monsters.

Finally Nicky gets a chance to properly greet Joe but instead of the smile Joe had a couple seconds ago, he finds the man looking at him with an unreadable expression. But before Nicky could ask what's wrong, Joe's expression quickly changes into a breathtaking smile.

"I leave you alone for one day and you've managed to destroy your house." Joe smirks pointing over to the abandoned cobwebbing that hung rather ill-favoured from the roof.

Nicky rubbed the back of his neck, "Beginners luck apparently doesn't apply to tasteless silk webbing."

"Dani seems to be enjoying it." That look was back on Joe's face again, and Nicky tried his best not to freak out at what it could possibly mean.

_You're overstepping Nicoló. He probably hates you now._

Nicky swallowed, "Hmmm, I'm glad. Figured since I missed the Firehouse decoration day, I'd do something here."

Joe hummed, almost as if he wasn't convinced that was the real reason.

"Maybe I'll hand the ropes over to you from now on then." Joe teases, but his eyes widen slightly at the unintended, barely there, innuendo.

Nicky's is too overcome with sudden desire to speak so he gives a small nod.

"Nicky! You forgot to carve the pumpkins!" Daniyal giggled, his laugh as infectious as his smile and Nicky find himself laughing too.

"Yes, I thought maybe you and your baba would like to help." He kneeled down in front of Daniyal, who was perched on the top step, one of the pumpkins held tightly in-between small hands, "I even scooped out all the gross insides. I know you don't like the feel of them."

A hand squeeze Nicky's shoulder from behind in a silent 'thank you.' Nicky tilted his head so it rested against Joe's arm, his own silent response.

Daniyal chose a more vocal 'thanks', "A million thanks-yous, Nicky!"

"A million welcomes, Dani." 

Joe smiled at his boys, then quickly checks Daniyal's surroundings to make sure he's okay and safe, before pulling Nicky to the side.

"You did all this for us, didn't you?" Joes voice holds no harshness but Nicky can't help but feel the need to apologize.

"I know, I should've asked. I overstepped my boundaries this time. I guess it was only a matter of time, right?" He attempted a laugh.

"No, _no_ , Madre Di Dio's. Never." Joe furiously shook his head, "Ya amar, I want too, firstly - thank you."

It was Nicky's turn to shake his head, heart beating fast and _oh_ , he hadn't even noticed how close Joe had moved towards him in the short amount of time they've been talking, "I do not earn any thanks. I didn't even get the cobwebs up."

Joe chuckled, "You amaze me Nicoló. Always."

Nicky blushed, earning another laugh from Joe, "Is there anything else?"

Joe's jaw snapped shut, any trace of joyfulness void of his features. He levels Nicky an accusing glare, "When we get home tonight, I want to know what happened."

"Huh?" Nicky frowned, trying to play dumb. Of course Joe would notice he's hurt, but this isn't the time to bath in Joe's concern, this is Daniyal's night of fun.

"Nico, habibi, you're favouring your side, your breathing is uneven, and you winced when Dani hugged you." Joe shot him a meaningful look, "You should know by now you can't hide anything from me. You also should know that I don't like it when you try too. I want to take care of you, Ya amar."

"I could never hide anything from you, Yusuf. You have a way of finding things out." It should've come out like a joke because, honestly, Joe can read people like they're an open book, but instead the words are heavy with all the things they've never said, the looks, the fond affection, the small touches over the last four years.

Joe hums, closing the gap between them even more, "I tend to be a little hyper-observant with the people I love."

Nicky pulled back a bit, gazing at Joe with a mixture of confusion, hope, and awe, "You- you... Love... Like as a friend?"

"Nicoló." Joe says as if that answers the question, and maybe it does.

"Yusuf, Tesoro mio, I love you." Nicky spoke softly as he wrapped an arm around Joe, pulling him closer until their lips meet.

And it felt amazing. To finally say the words out loud. The kiss was even better, even if the angle was just slightly off. Joe brought a hand to Nicky's cheek and tilted the Italian's head to the side, and their mouths slid firmly together in a breathtaking kiss.

Nicky has spent many nights dreaming of this. He anticipates soft, chaste, a brief meeting and parting of lips, maybe even for Joe to pull back and apologies, that he made a mistake. 

But no, Joe's holding onto him, a bit too tight, warmth radiating off his body and seeping into Nicky's. And then he's tilting Nicky's head even more and lightly licking at Nicky's lips, the tip of his tongue seeking entrance. _Access fucking granted_.

And then there's loud clapping and cheering, causing both men to pull back, lips red and swollen, cheeks pink and eyes wide at the realization that they had just been making out in front of Daniyal, on Nicky's front yard, in broad daylight.

Daniyal's still cheering, giggles falling from his lips and he tries to wave them in closer. Nicky and Joe cross the few inches to crouch down at Daniyal's level.

Daniyal smiled -the same bright smile as his baba's- before leaning forward to smack a big kiss on Nicky's forehead, then using the Italian man's shocked silence (even though it's not the first time he's done so, but Nicky will forever be surprised) to start a long rant about his sleepover.

Joe snorted at Nicky's shocked expression, before taking a seat on the lowest step, using one hand to carefully - _oh so_ _carefully_ \- pull Nicky back into his chest. They two men snuggled into each other and listen to Daniyal.

Eventually Daniyal ran out of stories to tell from last night, but he didn't let silence fall between them, as he jumped onto a new topic, excitement clear as day as he spoke, "Nicky! Did baba tell you who I'm going as for Halloween?!?" 

Nicky looked up as much as his ribs would allow, ignoring the concerned look Joe gave him, Nicky raised a brow at Joe, "No, he didn't."

Joe ran his eyes over Nicky's frame once more before letting his attention fall towards Daniyal, "My abn wanted to go as his personal hero this year. Someone who's kind and compassionate. Who's strong and brave. Who helps people in need, but will not ask for help himself. Someone we both love and admire. Someone who is all and who is more to me."

Daniyal giggled, nodding in agreement, "He's my favourite person, ever!"

Nicky frowned, the last time he checked, Lincoln from the show he watched was Daniyal's favourite. The House That is Loud - or something like that. But Lincoln didn't exactly fit the description. 

"Baba I don't think he knows." Daniyal half whispered to Joe, who in return nodded and gave a dramatic eye roll.

"Go on, Dani. Tell him."

"I'm going as you!" The young boy cheered, "Baba got me a firefighter costume!"

Nicky blinked, tears prickling, "Dani." It was barely audible as Nicky wrestled with his emotions, "I- I... Thank you! I think it's a perfect costume."

Daniyal grinned, happy that Nicky liked his pick of costume, "Are you coming with us?"

Nicky smiled at his boys, "There's no other place I would want to be."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I honestly enjoyed writing this so much!  
> Did I make up joes sons name because it’s literally just his last name with a random ‘D’ thrown into the mix??? No, I didn’t . Daniyal is actually a name. Tho I wish I was smart enough to have...
> 
> The tv show mentioned is The Loud House. It’s a favourite of my brothers.
> 
> If you have time please don’t be shy, comments are welcome and I respond to them! Even if it’s just random letters or a heart!!


End file.
